


Enter Player Two

by Belladonna_Q



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Blood, Collaboration, Fan Art, Halloween Prompts, Hannibal Gamer AU, Horror, M/M, Prompt Fill, Video Game AU, Video Game Mechanics, descriptions of violence, reapersun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-12
Updated: 2016-10-12
Packaged: 2018-08-21 23:50:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8264948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Belladonna_Q/pseuds/Belladonna_Q
Summary: Halloween prompt by @sherlockmadetea:Hannigram. Gamer AU. Hannibal needs a partner for a horror-themed video game mission that has a legendary item that you can only get on Halloween. Will just wants to curl up and play Animal Crossing on Halloween.For Belladonnaq and Reapersun's Halloween Prompt Fest :))





	

There was hardly enough time to think, let alone react, when his entire form was shoved bodily across the forest floor. It was such swift an action, he only caught the faintest hint of a bulky blue outline of the perpetrator before they had vanished from his sight. Helpless, he could only flinch as he tumbled down the sharp incline, rolling over fallen branches and wet leaves before landing with a sickening _crunch_ in a shallow creek. A crimson tint shuttered dramatically over his vision and remained fixed as an involuntarily groan of pain left his mouth.

“Shit, I'm hurt,” he managed after a moment, letting himself uncurl and take in his surroundings, his compass completely useless to him at this time. The perpetual dark of the environment map had been slightly annoying at first, having to endlessly toggle his flashlight, but now it felt downright creepy. “Hannibal?”

“I saw it. I’m coming,” came the calm reply, and Will let out a silent, thankful exhale. “What’s your HP?”

“Uh,” he glanced. “Twelve?”

“Hm,” the other didn’t sound pleased. “Quite glad he didn’t kill you.”

“He… Wait. He was blue. Blue means ally, doesn’t it? Red is enemy?” Will rummaged through his rusty knowledge on the subject. “I thought—“

“Yes,” Hannibal interrupted. Will caught the startling sound of a branch snapping and he pivoted his line of sight, watching as Hannibal approached, his frame bolded with that familiar and friendly blue outline. “Blue does mean ally, however, tonight those rules do not apply. Have you a health kit?”

“Uhh—“

“Shift key. Shift and then ‘I’ for ‘inventory’” The other replied in such a patient voice over his headset, Will felt his face flame in mild embarrassment. He was very thankful the other couldn’t see.

“Alright, I knew that. It’s just been a while…” he muttered as he did as instructed. One health kit. Perfect. “Shift and then ‘H’. I remember.” Will said unnecessarily, finding it vitally important to let Hannibal know he wasn’t at all ‘newbish’ to the game as perhaps he was viewed to be.

The bloodied screen cleared, his character breathing easier as he was finally able to stand after being patched. The grunting, panting and general gasping of his wounded character had been quite unsettling to hear periodically through the headset. He shook it off and focused on Hannibal.

“So, uh… when you said everyone had to be killed on Halloween, I didn’t know you meant _everyone_.” He couldn’t help but sound exasperated. It felt like it doubled the work.

“Ah,” Hannibal chuckled as he reloaded his pistol and holstered it. He toggled off his flashlight, pitching them into a dusky-dark environment save for the small light from Will and the large, yellow moon in the distance. “I apologize. Yes, it does mean both player-ally and NPC-enemy alike.”

“And what happens if not everyone is killed?”

“Then no one gets the achievement. It’s quite simple, and very competitive. There are quite a few completionists out there.”

“You being one of them, I would imagine.”

“I do enjoy collecting rare items. The rarer, the better.”

“It’s a blood-bath out here, is what you’re saying.”

“In an almost literal sense, yes. Those who enter this Halloween event also forfeit character rights, meaning on this particular server, if your character dies here, they are deleted.”

“ _Permanently_? Holy shit. You’ve had yours—“

“I’ve had my account for six years, and this is the first Halloween event they’ve held. I do not intend to lose.”

“Jesus, I hope I don’t let you down…”

Hannibal laughed on the other end, and Will impulsively chuckled along. “You are doing far better than I had hoped. Although I should make mention now, friendly-fire is engaged on this server.”

“Shit, you could have told me that before we started. I could have injured you in the earlier fights. With that Siren, especially.”

“You’re an impeccable projectile shot with that crossbow, Will Graham. I hadn’t been worried.”

Will smiled at his screen, feeling a flush overtake him once more. He cleared his throat, feeling ridiculous at the praise.

“Well, I’ve told you, I used to play but,” he paused, feeling odd at his sudden want for candor. “It was a little intense for me, I think. Addictive, too. I’ve had this account for years as well, but haven’t picked it up in a long, long while. My…my psychiatrist felt there were games out that might be better…”

“The ‘Animal Crossing’ I have heard you speak about in the halls?”

The tone wasn’t as derisive as Will was used to. He found his feathers not at all ruffled by Hannibal’s even-toned question. “Yes. It’s, I don’t know. Soothing?”

“I understand,” the tone again was even, if a bit intrigued. “I do appreciate your assistance in this particular endeavor. I have enjoyed your company in this virtual world. And in our very real one,” Hannibal added, voice husky in Will’s headset.

Suddenly anxious for no reason he was willing to admit, Will toggled his flashlight on and off in a twitchy movement, unable to come up with a suitable reply. Even sarcasm would do, but he had nothing, only a fluttering pulse in his chest at the words. Mousing his character, he continued down the pathway. Wordlessly, Hannibal’s character followed in step.

“Anyways,” Will glanced at the clock, clearing his throat. “Uh, we’re what, five more hours before midnight? How big is the server, any ideas?”

“No hints to that. All part of the hunt. We need to keep tracking towards the objective, a farmhouse at the northern end of the map.”

Will wished there was a character emote for motioning dramatically down the road. For now, he settled for his ‘casual’ emote, his character model throwing his heavy crossbow over his shoulder with a wink. “Well then, after you.”

 

* * *

 

 

The battles they encountered were brief but intense. Hannibal was an excellent spotter for hidden enemies couching near brush and around the dilapidated cabins and barns which littered the game map. The map itself was incredibly expansive, an open world fully evoking the ‘Halloween’ theme of the event. A forest with large black trees that swayed and glistened in sharp winds and bursts of environmental rains. There were several twisting, rotting cornfields interspersed with winding dirt roads and trampled paths. There was always very little ambient light from a full moon and they were forced to use the small flashlights pinned to their belts, searching thoroughly for batteries to keep them lit.

Altogether, it was startlingly effective, and Will was finding himself wholly engrossed in its rich and detailed environment. The game’s graphics had improved remarkably in only a few short years. It was truly impressive.

An excellent counterpart to Hannibal’s tracking and spotting skills, Will was equally as talented with his DPS, dealing damage to demon-like tanks and landing headshots to more agile creatures and fellow players alike. Will couldn’t remember the last time he had had so much fun with such an immersive experience. While it had been years since Will had played this game properly, it was as easy as slipping into a comfortable pair of slippers. Perhaps he should have found it a bit unnerving, but he forced himself not to dwell on it too much.

“We make a pretty good team,” Will commented to Hannibal’s back as they looted a rotting house, searching bookcases, recently slain bodies, boxes and drawers for ammo, health kits and armor packs.

“I feel the same. It’s why I asked you to be my player two on this achievement quest. Here,” Hannibal said suddenly, and an icon popped to the screen, indicating an action to receive.

Will’s jaw nearly dropped. “These are _legendary_ crossbow bolts, Hannibal. They deal both ice and fire damage.”

“Of course. I’ve no need for them, they’re for you.”

“I mean, thanks but holy shit… You were the one to find them. You could always sell them for gold to buy more ammo…”

“That’s not necessary,” Hannibal had stopped searching, and was making his way to the front door. Will accepted the item into his inventory and was quick to follow him out to the porch as they made their way down the road.

“Unnecessary? Why?” He asked, adjusting his microphone as he took a sip of water.

“I use the basic pistols because it is effective, but I am not one for guns. Or crossbows. Or even the elemental magic option.”

“Oh.” Will hadn’t known or even noticed this. “You’ve been playing this game for years. You have all the legendary icons, armor and voicelines… Even the skin you’re wearing now is a rare legendary ‘Van Helsing’ look only available if your account is over five years old …I just thought your weapon…”

“The weapon I desire is the one at the end of this achievement. The one you are helping me collect tonight.”

 _Oh_. “Ah, I thought it was a general trophy or something, but an item, that’s pretty interesting… I do hope we get it. Or I guess, I hope you get it.”

He could hear a distinctive pause on the other end. “You are alright with my taking the item?”

Will shrugged, despite knowing Hannibal wasn’t able to see. “Sure. It’s just a game. I mean, could we share it? Well, it’s more your game than mine at this point but still just a game. I’ll help you win it but you can for sure keep it. I mean... What kind of weapon is it? Do you know?”

“It’s a blade. A very unique, legendary blade. I prefer them to other weapon types. This one in particular.”

“I am definitely okay with you keeping the knife for your weapon,” Will smiled, pulling his first-person POV camera to third-person, admiring his black and silvered crossbow at his side. “I am pretty happy sticking with my weapon. So, thanks for the bolts.”

“They will come in handy for the upcoming fights as we come across the best equipped of players who have made it so far. We are nearly to the objective.”

They were, Will’s compass indicating they were almost to the orange designation on the bottom left of the screen.

“Alright, let’s do this.

 

* * *

 

 

The final farmhouse was not as creepy or as unsettling as Will had been anticipating. Its outside was a clean off-white color, complete with a porch and driveway. It looked well-kept with no broken windows or doors. It was a steep contrast to the decay and destruction they had been finding throughout the area.  If anything, he found it almost cozy as several candles flickered through the window, as if beckoning.

They approached, and Hannibal crouched near the porch. Will repeated the action.

“Will, toggle off your—“

“Yeah yeah, I got it,” Will whispered, hotkeying his flashlight. The whispering was pointless, only he and Hannibal were on this particular voice channel, but the immersive thrill was quite compelling.

“Are there others inside?”

“I believe so, yes. Waiting.”

“For what, us?”

“Precisely. This close to midnight, there might be only one or two remaining.”

“This is great. Let’s flank, double damage, yeah?”

“A brilliant plan, Will.” Hannibal clearly sounded impressed.

He grinned, feeling a blush spread across his neck. “Right well, you go ‘round. I’ll go through front?”

Without a word, Hannibal made a move, circling around the brush around the house.

Will stood and approached the front door, crossbow at this side and ready.

For its outside clean and polish, the inside was a bloodied horror show. Bodies both NPC-creature and account player alike were strewn across floors, furniture and even pinned with knives against walls as he made his way through the foyer and into the living room.

“Oh God,” he murmured without conscious thought as he navigated by the weak candlelight.

“What do you see?” Hannibal asked.

“Oh uh,” he swallowed, focusing. “Bodies. Just. Everywhere.”

“Are there loot indicators?”

“What’s that?”

“Are you able to loot their corpses?”

 _Corpses_ made Will cringe somewhat, but he approached several heaps. “Uh… No. No I’m not.”

“Excellent. It means they were murdered by another active player, and not an NPC. They are probably still in the—“

Will managed to catch it this time. A faint blue-outline of a bulky form which charged him. It was familiar and he realized, identical to the one which had shoved him down the ravine.

On instinct, he moused and rolled, switching on his flashlight and hotkeying his weapon in two swift movements. The figure was large, a tank figure to be sure, able to take and deal significant amounts of damage. But he would be slow and cumbersome in comparison to Will and even to Hannibal.

“He’s here! Hannibal, living room, left-side.” Will called out, and the figure rose great billowy and mangled wings from its humanoid form, red and weeping with an impressive blood and scale texture. “Dragonoid-Tank, melee weapon only… I think he’s headed to the kitch—“

“I see him.” Hannibal stated, but Will spun a 360 around the area, not seeing his companion. “His charge attack is on cooldown—“

Will moved forward and fired—once, twice, three times—before reloading and firing a fourth. Each iced fire bolt hit, striking even as the other attempted to dodge and block. He anticipated position, landing headshots, keeping cover behind a kitchen island as the Dragonoid thrashed and bled, a shriek leaving its throat.

“He’s blooded, Hannibal, where are you?” He all but demanded, as the enemy began to recover. “He’s going to use a health kit. I think—“

The gunshots rang out, several in succession. Will watched as the other flinched with each impact, giant wings flaring, blood running down its form.

“Fuck. Fuck,” Will turned, backing away further into the kitchen, reloading and aiming out of instinct. The player had already fallen, but a clawed-hand raised in several quick motions, as if in a last, frantic emote.

“Should we switch from ‘group’ chat to ‘player' chat?” Will asked, his heart hammering, interpreting the other player’s signals as some communication. “I think he wants to talk to us.”

Hannibal approached from the darkness. His pistols remained steady, aimed downwards on the other’s form. He tilted his head, as if considering.

Will narrowed his eyes at their fallen enemy, watching them closely. “I think he’s trying to talk to _you_ , Hannibal. Do you know hi—“

A single shot rang out sharp in Will’s ears. He watched as the other fell wordlessly, character model crumpling in a massive single motion, not unlike a snipped marionette. He sagged to the kitchen floor and bright blood began to makes its crawl on the textured laminate.

Will sat back in his computer chair.

“Shit.

A distinctive chime, as if a gong being struck, rang out across the map, barreling through Will’s headphones. Alarmed, Will froze.

“He was the one.”

Sitting forward, elbows resting on his desk, Will was engrossed. “The one what?”

“The last.”

Eyebrows raising, Will flicked his eyes to the clock on his wall. Four minutes to spare before midnight. Holy shit. They’d done it. An entire map wiped.

“So, we did it?” He asked tentatively, watching Hannibal pace the length of the kitchen, although not searching the cabinets or shelving. Merely… walking. As if not wishing to remain idle.

“The sound was announcing all players are killed, save for our own team.”

“The achievement can only be won by killing everyone on the server, right?” Will continued, laughing with mild surprise. “So it’s done. We’ve done it.”

“All NPC enemies are dead, yes. Along with the fellow allies.”

Taking a sip of his water, Will adjust his heavy headset, nodding to the screen, pleased and truthfully, somewhat elated. “Great! That’s great. We did it, yeah? Just before midnight on Halloween and everything.” Thank _God_.

“Will…As I’ve told you. The achievement is collected when everyone has been killed...”

“I know.”

“Every other player.”

“Uh yeah, I _know_? We just—” Will jolted back in his chair, falling into stunned silence immediately. Quickly gathering his thoughts and finding his voice, he continued. “Wait. Okay wait wait wait.”

“Will—“

“No. No, wait. You’re going to kill _me_?” Will sat back, then forward, then back in his seat, scrubbing a hand through his hair, disbelieving. “You’re serious? You’re _serious_?”

“You said it was only a game…”

“It’s…” He paused, unable to collect the words to form what was running through his brain. “It’s not just a game. We were doing this together! We were a team!”

 

The silence on the other end was deafening. He had no idea what Hannibal could possibly be thinking. Probably that he was crazy. Unstable. Like everyone else on the planet.

Their characters stood before each other, idle animations causing them to sway and nearly brush each other. Hannibal’s model was particular heartbreaking, looking so much like the man himself. Will closed his eyes.

He took a breath, then another. “Alright.” _Not alright_. “You can.” _Please don’t._ “I won’t fight.” _I might._

Will lifted and tossed his mouse down onto its pad, defeated. “It’s fine. It’s just…just a game. You’re right.” But it didn’t feel like one. Not at all. They had been having fun, true. Was it not real? And now his entire character was meant to be destroyed, as if it were nothing? The words felt like ash in his mouth and he felt ridiculous for it. It _was_ just a game. Why the odd feeling, so tight in his chest? Betrayal? He felt stupid for the thought which wriggled and pinned itself so firmly to the forefront of his mind.

“Why did you make your character look like you?” Hannibal asked, voice etched with a quiet confusion.

Will frowned at the screen, working out the true meaning of the question. He lifted his hands up and off the mouse and keyboard and set them in his lap, as if afraid to make a provoking move. “What?”

“Your character,” Hannibal shifted, the idle animation taking over his character, his gun still bobbing ominously in his closed hand. Perhaps Hannibal had lifted his hands off the keyboard as well? “There are endless character models and endless facial and body modifications to be done. Why make your character look like you?”

“I am probably not very imaginative,” Will chuckled, attempting humor and feeling fake for it. Feeling pathetic.

“No. In fact, your imagination is quite profound,” now Hannibal moved to circle around Will’s still form, striding behind his back, leaving Will’s point of view. Shit. Shit. Hairs raised on the back of his neck as Will was left to stare into the dark, empty kitchen, lit only by the small torchlight his character held. He stared at its bloodied walls and gore streaked floors, not moving an inch.

Forced to listen to Hannibal’s soft leather boots shift directly behind him, he held his breath. He waited. Anticipating a blow. Bracing for a shout in his ear as his character fell to a bullet. But nothing happened. At least not yet.

“It’s your fantasy. Same as mine.” The voice rumbled low in Will’s ear, so close and intimate it felt as if the man was in the same physical space, breathing down his spine in the dark of Will’s bedroom.

“You’re saying your fantasy involves killing everyone you come into contact with?” Will asked, raising a hand to hover over the mouse. “Even killing people you know, with no repercussions?”

“I felt as though I was doing you favor,” and as the words fed through his headset, Will’s flashlight flickered, shuttering the kitchen in strobes of white and black. He stilled his hands, which impulsively had begun to reach to toggle his battery hotkey to remain lit. He refrained. He waited.

“ _You_ made your character look like you,” Will pointed out, keeping his tone nonthreatening, purely honest. He heard a chuckle as if directly behind his ear.

“As I said. A fantasy.”

“Hannibal, this is just a game.”

“As you’ve said. So then why does this all clearly bother you so?”

“I—I liked what we were doing. Together.”

“Killing people?”

“In the game,” Will clarified “And no, not just that. It was everything.”

“With me?”

“Yeah. I mean.” Will could only stop, at a complete loss. “Yeah, with you.”

Silence fell once more. Eyes flicking to the clock, Will steeled himself. “You’ve only a minute or so. Just make it quick, I guess.”

“It’s a rare gift, Will.”

“I know, you’ve said. A unique, legendary blade…”

“No. No, this. You. Us.”

Will did not know what to say, so he said nothing. Although silence reined save for the soft wind and ambient creaks of their environment, Will could swear he could hear a smile.

They simply stood and watched as the clock rolled over, bringing on a new day.

 

**Author's Note:**

> :) Thank you for reading!
> 
> [Reapersun ](http://www.reapersun.tumblr.com)and[ BelladonnaQ](http://www.belladonnaq.tumblr.com)


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